The Masters' Servant
by Secret Spy Guy
Summary: Gift for NewGhostGirl.Masters Weapon-verse. Nathaniel Zimmers was kidnapped by Vlad Masters when he was six years old. Forced to work at Axion labs, Zimmers suffered endlessly beneath his Master's cruelty, living in constant fear of those around him...


**Spy Guy: Whoah...update. Lolz. **

**This goes out to New Ghost Girl who came in second in my contest like...a year ago. Lo siento...**

**Anyways, I wrote this on open office...and I hate open office now...with a passion. It's so annoying. But, this is the first thing I've finished since my computer crash. **

**It's Masters' Weapon-verse, and Zimmers-centric. Hope every one enjoys!

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_ Surrounded by light, I am afraid_

_ Not of the things I do,_

_ Nor of what I have done, _

_ Or what I have become..._

_ I am afraid of the shadow that lurks behind me, _

_ Bathing itself in the light... _

* * *

It was a hulking creature, covered in thick, wiry black hair, wearing only a torn green hoodie over its huge lupine body. Zimmers watched the creature through a thick panel of glass, working the complex controls before him with trembling hands.

He was tired, pushed past the point of exhaustion, his eyes bruised and bloodshot from lack of sleep. All he wanted was his Master's approval. A simple nod that would indicate the ending of his nearly impossible task. He wanted to finish his objective, and return to his room, where he could rest and close his eyes without the risk of a beating.

* * *

Zimmers knew that his master loved power. He loved having power over his company, his money, and the hundreds of people who filtered in and out of his facilities every day. He loved knowing that he held their lives in his hands…and that they couldn't make a single move without consulting him first…

Zimmers was one of the many who knew the crushing feeling of the Master's subjugation. But unlike the workers, who were free to come and go as they pleased, he was a prisoner, trapped inside the walls of Axion, forced to work unhealthy hours creating things that went against the ethics of science.

His latest project? To create a device, that could control not only humans, but also ghosts. Regardless of what his ethical standards had once been, Zimmers had set to work immediately.

The human specimens had been easy to manipulate. Their brains were uncomplicated, simple, and easy to crack. The victory had been easily won, mostly because he was merely replicating the research of others.

The victory over the lesser spirits had been slightly harder, only because he had very little research to spring from: This category included orbs, shades, and weak scraps of ectoplasm that floated aimlessly about the zone. Easy. Once he found the code to what made them tick, it had been child's play to manipulate them.

But, Vladimir Masters wasn't satisfied.

He wanted to control the _powerful_ ghosts, the creatures who took physical form…the ones who did _physical_ _damage_... and the ones that were so _intricately_ _complicated_.

Zimmers had been at a loss when it came to them, driving some of his early specimens to madness. The entire left side of his throat was shredded by the claws of one ghost who had seemed defeated, and yet had still retained its indomitable might. The sting in his flesh was a constant reminder of the danger posed by his subjects.

* * *

The latest specimen had been brought in the night, heavily sedated, and fettered with glowing chains. Zimmers had watched as it was wheeled inside the facility, looking fearsome even when incapacitated.

" A magnificent beast, isn't it?" Vlad had purred, standing by the boy's side, his eyes hungrily assessing his latest acquisition.

" Yes Master." Zimmers intoned, holding his arms around himself in the frigid cargo bay. The outside air from the loading dock breezed past his skin, feeling fresh and cool. It smelled of gas and exhaust, but the aroma reminded him of his childhood…of cold chilly mornings walking along the sidewalk, cars whoosing by him, leaving the scent of pollution in their wake. It had been years since he had last tasted the open air, and he drew it franticly into his lungs, coughing as the coldness stung his throat.

" Behave." Vlad snarled, grabbing the boy by the sleeve of his lab coat. "If you shame me in from of my hunter, I assure you, you'll regret it."

" I'm sorry, Master." Zimmers whimpered, swallowing frantically, cowering in fear from his master's anger. Vlad turned away from him with a huff, relinquishing his hold on the boy's coat as his hunter climbed from the truck at the dock, quickly approaching them.

Vlad's hunter was classified as one of the powerful ghosts, his body covered entirely in armor and loaded with an arsenal of deadly weapons. Zimmers hated it when the hunter looked at him; and the ghost's soulless, glassy green eyes hungrily_ stared_ as if he were an animal to be gawked at.

" Good work, Skulker." Vlad said, sneering at the ghost in his employ. "Hopefully this will be the last for a while. I'm sure Zimmers will get it right this time."

Vlad said the last part as a threat. Zimmers swallowed again, looking away, his eyes staring aimlessly at the floor.

Skulker turned his metallic head towards the boy with a hydraulic whir, his iron face twisting into an unnatural grin, showing off jagged metal teeth.

" Your little pet is definitely a unique specimen." The hunter growled in his low, ragged voice. He reached out to press his fingers against the boy's right eyelid, pulling it back, exposing Zimmers' shining golden iris. The boy whimpered slightly, fighting his instinct to flinch away.

" Don't know many humans with eyes like that. A _rarity_." Skulker continued, grinning maliciously. "I would pay anything to have him for my collection."

Zimmers felt his eyes welling with tears as he gazed fearfully up at the hunter who had set his sights on him. Ghosts terrified him. They always had, even when he was at home, with his family. He had heard stories about them and about what they did... how they killed without remorse. He had heard about how little they valued human life, and how they discarded the ones they fancied like trash.

Zimmers wanted to run away...but he knew he couldn't. Master wouldn't like it if he showed how much of a coward he really was.

" You can't have him, Skulker." Vlad replied, pulling a wad of cash from his pocket, handing it to the ghost who reluctantly took it and drew his hand away from the boy. He counted the money quickly, and stuffed it into a pouch at his side, frowning deeply.

" I want him when you're done." The hunter grumbled. "He should be payment enough for all my services. I'm giving you one of my best catches. The least you can do is give me one of yours."

" You forget who is keeping you from falling apart, you bucket of bolts." The master hissed darkly, his eyes flaring red. _"_If I wish to give the child to you, I will. If not, you will just have to deal with it."

Zimmers hated the hunter.

* * *

The memory of that night was burned into his already branded mind, a constant reminder as he fiddled with the control panel, and worked adjustments to a small black box resting on the counter beside him. It was the transmitter for the collar he had designed for the more powerful spirits. He had reworked the entire design from the previous experiments, and moved away from the small electrodes and microchips he had used for the previous ones. He hoped that the collar could provide enough power to override the neurons in the ghost's brain, and finally complete his objective.

It was his last shot.

"Wulf? Are you awake?" The boy called through the intercom. The beast's ears twitched, and the creature slowly turned its head towards him, its green eyes blazing.

The ghost was four hundred pounds of hulking sinew and muscle, more than a match for the shatterproof glass separating them. The only thing that prevented its escape was the ghost shield that could_ possibly_ overload…as it had before, with one of the previous specimens.

That was how he had gotten the gaping wound on his thigh. Even his master couldn't deny the seriousness of it. It had needed stitches…a long row of painful stitches, without the luxury of sedation.

Zimmers didn't want to have to repeat that torture again. He could still feel the needle piercing his flesh again and again and again. He could feel the coarse thread pulling taut against his skin, as he was sewn up like a ripped teddy bear. He never wanted to endure that pain ever again...

The boy reached forward, and quickly tweaked a few knobs on the control panel. The receiver whined slightly, sending out its signal to the collar around the ghost's neck. Wulf gave a low growl, flattening his ears against his head, showing his apparent discomfort, corded muscles rippling beneath dead flesh. Zimmers continued to increase the frequency, his ears ringing as the whining grew almost too loud for him to bear.

Wulf howled loudly, thrashing around, pulling himself up on his haunches, shaking his head back and forth dazedly.

"Wulf, can you hear me?" He asked through the microphone again, making sure to repeat the phrase in Esperanto, to ensure that his message was understood. Many spirits had picked up the language throughout the years, trying to differentiate themselves from their human counterparts. Zimmers had found it an incredibly easy language to master, and could converse with many spirits in the tongue that they were most comfortable with.

_"Ĉu vi parolas Esperanton?." _The ghost asked softly, its voice rumbling deep in its throat.

"_Jes."_ The boy replied, lowering the frequency, making slight adjustments as he readied the collar for its second phase. When he was done, he continued to watch Wulf, pausing a moment to study him. In all the days that he had been trapped in the lab, staring at the large ghost before him, the boy had never heard an intelligent thing from its mouth. Now, it was speaking...

He had to see what it had to say.

_"Bonvolu..." _The ghost groaned. "_Ne."_

"_Ne,_ Wulf?" Zimmers asked, waiting patiently for an answer.

He never got one.

Wulf suddenly leapt from his place on the floor, growling like a crazed beast, his claws scraping against the ghost shield. He tore through it as if it were paper, throwing his weight against the glass, creating large spiderweb cracks across its smooth surface.

Zimmers lurched backwards, falling from his chair, madly scrambling across the tile floor. The stitches in his thigh pulled roughly against his skin, but he gritted his teeth and bore the pain. It hurt like hell, but the boy knew that if he didn't get to safety, he would have more to worry about than just the pain in his leg..

There was a loud thud as Wulf's body hit the window again. Small fragments of glass littered the floor, and Zimmers found himself on his feet, pounding his fists against the locked door behind him, screaming at the top of his lungs.

"Master! Master, please! Let me out! Let me out of here! It's going to kill me!"

The window shattered as Wulf forced his large paw through, gripping at the shards of glass, quickly pulling himself from his prison. Zimmers shrieked loudly, shaking the door handle madly as the creature slunk across the control panel towards him.

_"Jen. "_ It growled deep in its throat, baring its saber-like fangs.

Soon, it was only a few inches away, its rancid breath falling upon Zimmers' nostrils. The boy turned around, his eyes wide in fear as he stared at the powerful creature before him. How could his master even _think_ that a ghost like it could be controlled? He was crazy. Ghosts were too volatile. Certainly, there once had been things that could succeed, but they were long lost in the past, along with many other technological advancements.

And now...Zimmers knew he was going to die.

Wulf snorted in his face, taking a few steps back before tensing his muscles in preparation for an attack. Zimmers pressed himself against the lab door, his heart beating loudly in his chest. Wulf's green eyes glinted eerily in the dim light, filled with rage, and anger...and a lust for revenge. The boy let out another cry, shutting his eyes in the preparation for the attack.

That was when the lab door flew open, and Zimmers tumbled backwards, landing hard on the cold tiles of the hall. A hand roughly gripped the collar of his lab coat, and yanked him away from the angered ghost, sending Zimmers rolling across the floor. He heard the lab door slam shut, followed by a loud muffled roar, and the sounds of claws scratching against metal.

The hallways seemed to be a whirl of fluorescent lights and faces. One man leaned over him, his lips moving again and again...but Zimmers didn't answer him. All he could do was breathe deeply, trying to calm himself. His chest was heaving as adrenaline pumped through his body.

"Are you okay?" The man asked, leaning the boy's body against the wall behind him. Slowly, his savior's face came into clarity, and Zimmers found himself murmuring his name.

"Mister...Mr. Gray." He whispered, finally managing to slow his breathing. The man nodded, crouching by the boy's side. Two guards were also present, armed with tasers and ectopistols.

Master was nowhere in sight.

"You know, Mr. Masters and I are supposed to be partners. I don't understand why you always called _him_ Master, and not me." Mr. Gray smiled slightly, letting out a subdued chuckle.

"I'm sorry--" Zimmers began, only to be cut off by the other man.

"It's alright boy." Mr. Gray continued. "He's a little eccentric, I know. Like a slave driver."

He laughed softly, apparently hoping to see the boy laugh as well. Zimmers simply stared sadly up at him, keeping his thoughts to himself. He didn't know what to think of his master's recent business partner, but he did know that their union wouldn't end well. Master hated competition, and having an equal around, one who could put his hands into everything he had accomplished, would irk him to no end.

So what was the purpose?

"You're lucky that I was passing by." Mr. Gray continued. "Or that thing would have eaten you alive. Those filthy beasts aren't even worth your time."

He reached out his hand, and helped Zimmers to his feet, wrapping a strong arm around the boy's thin shoulders.

"I'll take you back to your room so you can get some rest. You must be exhausted."

Zimmers nodded weakly, limping by the man's side, the stitches in his thigh _burning._

All the while, Wulf snarled angrily at the door, unable to force his way to freedom...

* * *

**Spy Guy: So...this is part one. I'm not sure what the next one is going to be? Any ideas? Help would be greatly appriciated. :D And reviews! Reviews are also greatly appriciated, and I will try to get back to you. **


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